Automatic valve-regulator



L. E. EGAR AND N- C- L. WILHJELM.

AUTOMATIC VALVE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.29, 1919.

SHEETS-SHEEI 1.

1,397,680. I J Patented Nov. 22, 1921;

9 7/ iwg L. E. EGAR AND N. C. L. WILHJELM. I

AUTOMATIC VALVE REGULATOR.

APPLICATIONHLED N0v.29. I919- 1,397,680, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNlTED STATES PATENT. OFFICE;

LORENTZ E. EGAR AND NIE s c. L. WILHJELM, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS 'ro Aurom 'rIc TEMPERATURE CONTROL 00., A CORPORATION 0E NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC vAEvE-REeULAroR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov.-22, 1 921.

I Application filed November 29 1919. Serial no. 341,365.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, LoREN'rz E. EGAR, citizen of the Norwegian Monarchy, and NIELS C. L. WILHJELM, citizen of the Danish Monarchy, residing both in Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valve-Regulators, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to automatic valve regulators. More particularly the invention relates to improvements in electrically operated valve regulating mechanisms of the type used in combination with a pyrometer or similar apparatus for regulating fuel supply controlling valves in the supply pipes to furnaces.

One object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated valve control apparatus adapted to be manufactured in unit form to be connected to the supply control valves and adapted to operate said valve automatically and in practically immediate response to changes in the temperature in the furnace and in combination with a temperature registering device such for instance as a pyrometer.

Still another object is to rovide an apparatus adapted to be efficiently operated by a small electric motor.

Other objects. of the invention and the manner in which the invention operates and the advantages to be derived therefrom will ap ear hereinafter.

ccordingly our invention comprises such parts, elements, arrangements and combinations thereof as are hereinafter set forth while reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illus-, trating the use and operation of our invention together with the wiring diagram. in which it is connected. l i

Fig. 2 is a side view of a, snap switch or make and break. device used in our valve regulator, with parts in section and parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of said snap switch.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of our unit form valve regulator.

Referring first to Fig. 1 the reference numeral 6 denotes a furnace of any suitable construction having a fuel supply pipe 7 1n which 8 indicates a suitable supply controlling valve provided with an operating element or handle 9. 10 indicates diagrammatically a millivolt-meter or like temperature indicating device in which an armature or element 11 is movable between two contacts 12 and 13 in response to temperature changes in the furnace. The moving ele ment 11 is operated by a thermocouple 14.- or like temperature measuring device to which it is connected by wires 15 and 16. As shown in Fig. 1 the reference numeral 14 indicates, partly in section, a pyrometer of the Le Chatelier type by way of illustration.

Our improved valve regulator'comprises a snap switch 18 adapted to make contact at 19 or 20 when operated by a slide 21 which is pivoted at 22 to a link 23. This link is in turn pivoted at 24 to a crank disk 25 operated through suitable reducing gearing 26 and need no description here. For the pur,

pose of understanding our invention the following explanation of the diagram shown in Fig. 1 will be suflicient.

So long as the temperature in the furnace 6 remains at the desired or required degree,

the pyrometer merely registers said temperature. If now the temperatureincreases the element 11 which is responsive to temperature changes moves to the left, for instance, and makes contact at 12. The electric current then passes from the line wire 33, through 11 and 12, wire 34, 19 and 18 through wire 35 to the motor 27 and out through the line 36. The motor commences to operate and rotate crank disk 25 through gearing 26. Consequently link 23 is moved upward and through lever 28 and link 31 the valve is closed thus decreasing the fuel supply to the furnace. But simultaneously therewith the slide 21 has also been operated to snap the switch 18 from contact 19 to contact 20 whereby the circuit through the motor is broken and the operation of the valve stopped, the fuel supply willbe di minished and the temperature in the furnace from the line 33, through 11, 13, wire 38,

contact 20, switch 18 through the motor and out. The motor will again operate the lever 23, lever 28 and link 31, but in the reverse direction to open the valve 8 and at the same time slide 21 will be actuated to operate the switch 18 to break the motor circuit. so that in this event the valve 8 will open to permit of an increased fuel supply to the furnace. 1

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 for a detailed description of the switch it will be seen that it is generally contained within a casing 40 in which the switch 18 is pivoted at 41 in a bearing 42. The contacts 19 and 20 are suitably located and adapted for their respective wire connections which may pass through terminals 43, 43. The switch 18 has a nonconducting blade 44 which carries conducting contacts 45, 46 connected by a conductor 47 which latter is connected by wire 48 to binding post 49 from which a flexible connection 50 leads to binding post 51 for wire 35, see Fig. 1. V The other end of blade '18 is formed with a loop 52 terminating in a tongue 53. 54 is a spring pressed abutment slidably mounted in a guide 55 which is slotted as at 56 to provide play for the pin 57. The abutment under tension by the spring 58 prevents lateral movement of the switch as shown in that the abutment projects into theipath of the tongue 53. Thenumerals 59 and 60 denote locking members or cams pivoted on the bearing 42 at 61, 61. The aforesaid slide 21 carrying the pivot 22 slides underneath the switch in a guide 62 and carries a pin 63 connected to the switch blade '18 by means of a laminated spring 64.

The pos tion of the partsas illustrated in Fig. 3 show clearly that the switch is firmly locked by the abutment 54 which prevents lateral movement ofblade 18. When, however, as explained abdve, the slide 21 is operated, its pin 63 will be moved toward the cam 59 and the spring 64will be flexed tending to snap the blade 18 from contact 19 to contact 20. The movement of the pin 63 swinging continues until it abuts cam 59 and moves the latter around its pivot 61, the result of which movement will be that the cam in resses back, to the left in the; draw1ng,t e pin 57 and the abutment 58. As soon as the latter has moved out of the path of the switch tongue 53, the blade 18 on the pressure of the flexed spring 64 will snap quickly to contact 20 breaking the Con.

tact at 19 after which the the same positions as in arts will assume ig. 3 except that the switch will now be locked in the oppoeeaaeo site position with the tongue 53 on the other side of the abutment 54. When the slide 21 is again operated, which will be in the reverse direction, the reverse movement takes place in the switch during which the slide pin 63 acts on the cam 80 to operate the abutment 54 as will be understood.

"It is one of the features of this invention to provide an automatic valve regulator in unit form, that is to say such a form that the regulator as such may be manufactured and assembled ready to be connected in the circuit and to the valve. Fig. 4 illustrates one embodiment of this feature of the invention in which the numeral denotes'n. suitable base upon which is mounted the motor 27. The gearing 26 for operating the crank disk 25 comprises a worm 71 on the motor shaft 72, a double pinion 73-74 which transmits the motion or the shaft to the crank disk gear 73. In order to allow for the necessary adjustments the pivot 30 is carried by a block 74 which is slidably mounted in a guide 75 and operated by an endless screw 76'. The pivot 30 moves in the slot 77 in the lever 28 which is also provided with apertures 78 to adjust the active length of the arm 28 from the pivot 29 as will be understood. The stroke adjusting screw 7 6 is placed in an inclined position to the lever 28 to prevent closing the valve below a predetermined minimum if only part of the flow is controlled. 1f the valve is entirely closed it cannot be forced down too much. The switch is placed on the base 70 as shown and the entire device is compact and easily operated and installed.

The invention as herein described and illustrated ma valves, gates, ampers and the like in connection with any measuring instrument constructad so that an electric circuit is closed when the indication of the instrument exceeds the given point on its scale, and another circuit is closed when the indication falls be,- low the given point. .No current is carried through any parts of the apparatus when be used for the control of not operating thus decreasing the wear thereof; It will iurther'be noted that the current is not broken in the controlling or measuring instrument so that no destructive sparking takes place therein. Th motor afiords a convenient operating mean usin but very little current. The motor is gbere down so that the operation of the valve takes place slowly and. no sudden strains are experienced in thedevice.

It will further be understood that we do not intend to be limited by anything stat-ed in the foregoing but that changes may be made in the apparatus and invention within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim 1. In combination, a furnace, a valve, for.

nee'aeeo tric circuit including a device responsive to temperature changes in said furnace, a regulating mechanism comprising a motor and means actuated by said motor for operating the said valve, electrical connections in said circuit between the said device and the said motor for starting the latter to operate said valve when the temperature in the furnace varies from a predetermined constant and a switch operated by said motor to break the said connections between the latter and the said device after the said valve has been operated and means carried by said switch for looking it when the circuit is closed.

2. In combination, a furnace, avalve for controlling the fuel supply thereto, an electric circuit including a device responsive to temperature changes in said furnace, a regulatlng mechanism comprising a motor for operating the said valve, electrical connections in said circuit between the said device and the said motor for starting the latter to operate the said valve when the temperature in the furnace varies from a predetermined constant, a switch, means for operating said switch from the said motor after the said valve has been operated and means in said switch for automatically breaking the connections between the said device and the said motor subsequent to the said operation of the said valve and means carried by said switch for looking it when the circuit is closed.

3. In combination, a furnace, a valve for controlling the fuel supply thereto, an electric circuit including a device responsive to temperature changes in said furnace, an element for operating the said valve, means for adjusting the extent of operation of said element and additional means for adjusting the throw of said valve, a motor for actuating said element, connections in said circuit between the said device and the motor for starting the latter when the temperature in the furnace varies from a predetermined constant, a switch for controlling the direction of current in said connections and means actuated by said motor for operating said switch to automatically break the said connections between the said device and the motor after the latter has operated the valve.

Signed at New York, N. Y., November 22nd, 1919.

LORENTZ E. EGAR. NIELS on L; wnnantn. 

